Still Breathing

September

Solid State

September is another powerful stallion in the stable of Solid State Records; they play chugga chugga metal screamo stuff, with more of an emphasis on the “scream” in “screamo” and a focus on mathematical precision in songcraft. The band rock in a very self-titled Zao album style, and feature a female lead singer (a rarity for this genre).

September starts out with the pummeling “Everything.” The guitars are grinding, in a very Marshall amp kind of way, and pristinely recorded, the drums are loud and popping, the vocals grizzled and red throated, and the variation in time signatures makes the math rock geek smile with glee! “Sweet Wounded Sour” is a death metal rock out, complete with double bass attacks and super fast riffs. The rest of the record follows suit and destroys at a mainly mid-tempo pace.

Yes, this is a very well done record, brutal and punishing from start to finish. It’s sometimes hard to believe that music so crushing and apparently evil as the majority of Solid State bands play is actually being sung in praise of God, but bands like Still Breathing are helping to destroy the myth that Christian music is wussy and neutered. Even non-Christian metal heads will thoroughly enjoy this!